Mailing-machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. H. SANDERS.

MAILING MAGHINE.

No. 461,277. Patented Oct. 13, 1891.

WITNESSES ym@ W f (NdMoael.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

W. H. SANDERS. MAILING MACHINE.

110.461,27?. Patented 0ot.-13,1891.

WITN ESSES INVENTOR I s'shets-sheet 3. W. H. SANDERS.

MAILING MACHINE;

Patented Oct'. 13, 1891.

. Ww f 1 1. .s Miss.. .|u.. 1an .il

(No Model.)

WITNESSES UNITED STA-TES ATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM H. SANDERS, OF MARION, INDIANA.

MAILING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,277, dated october 13, 1891.

Application tiled May Z4, 1890. Serial No. 353,111. (No model.)

and addresses each name and address in succession and paste the name on the package to be mailed; and the objects of my invenlion are, first, to provide an automatic stripfeed adjustable to suit mail-lists printed in` 'different-sized types or of different widths; second, to provide a combined automatic strip-feed and cutting mechanism acting alternately to feed-the addresses and clip them from the list; third, to automatically apply an adhesive coating to the blank side of the strip previous to severing the addresses therefrom; fourth, to afford limproved means for rapidly addressing mail-matter of differentsizes and kinds by the same machine, and, fifth, to reduce the labor and expense and increase the speed of addressing` matter for the mails.

To these ends the invention consists in novel mechanism for automatically severing` a printed address from a strip of paper, gummin g'the same before severence, however, and applying the addressautomatically to a package or letter passing .through the machine,

and to cause each piece of mail-matter passing through the machine to itself release the devices whereby the address is applied thereto, and to automatically control the operation of the machine so that it will work only during the passage of a package therethrough, and is operated but once for each package passed therethrough.

The invention further consists in the novel construct-ion and combination of parts in the machine, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a sectional side elevation of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a front View thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the strip gumming, feeding, and severingdevices. Fig. et is a detail.

A Irepresents the base of the' machine, and I-I I-I are uprights at the sides and about the center of the base and connected at top bya transverse bar B. Y

I designates a roller, having its shaft X journaled in vertically-adj ustable spring-sup ported boxes I', playing in guides in the lower endsl of .uprights I-I, as indicated in Fig. l, and on one projecting end of shaftX is apulley Z, by which roller I may be rotated.' i

K and L designate rollers journaled in proper bearings at theopposite ends of the base A, and S S designate endless belts ruuning over said rollers and the intermediate roller I, as shown inv Fig. l.

T designates an endless belt running over v rollers L and I only, as indicated, and intermediate the belts S S, and designates a belt running over` roller K and a stationary roller M, journaled in proper bearings on base A and lying between rollers K and I, as shown in Fig. 1. Only one belt T and one belt-t are shown; but any desired number of such belts may be used. Belt T might, if desired, be extended to roller K, like belts S; but I prefer to use belt t, as shown.

D, E, and O represent parallel hangers depending from bar B near the center thereof and above roller I.

J J designate friction-rollers having their shafts playing in slots J8 in theuprightsI-I and in the adjoining hangers O D, respectively, and journaled in bearings in the arms of U-shaped frames J', which are guided by rods J2, sliding in openings in bar B. The frames and rollers are pressed downward by springs J3, placed on one or more rods J2, and the tension of the springs may be regulated by nuts J4 or in other suitable manner".

Q designates a feeding-roller journaled in arms Q', attached to uprights H and overlying belts S T, and R R indicate endless belts running over rollersJ and Q.

The rollers J and belts R are driven by frictional contact with roller I and co-operate therewith to direct the packages and letters over the roller I.

WV is a frictional wheel intermediate rollers J J and suspended between the hangers D E on ashaft WV', journaled therein, as indicated, and having its periphery iiattened, as at W9, which is the lowest portion of the wheel when at rest, so that the-wheel will not contact with the roller I or belts thereon.

W2 is a peripheral groove or recess in wheel W, which is engaged by a detent w, that is attached to one end of the rock-shaft w', journaled in a bracket m2, attached to hanger AD, and is controlled by a spring w3, which normally presses the detent against the wheel. 104 is a depending arm on shaft w', which projects into the plane of the upper line of belts S and T, so that if a package be carried inward on said belts it will strike arm co4 and cause it to rock shaft w', disengaging detent w from wheel WV and permitting the latter to be revolved by frictional contact with the package passing thereunder. After passing between roller I and rollers J andwheel W the `package is carried forward on belts S to arms M2 and N2, of spring-wire, respectively above and below the upper portions of belts S, as shown in Fig. l.

P designates a iXed blade or bar situated Atransversely of the machine to the inside of,

-parallel with, and just above the roller M and supported by bracket-arms P, attached to the frame, and p is a blade pivoted near one end to bar-blade P. This blade is operated by a rod 7L, which is connected to the blade and to the lower end of the springlever g, which is suspended from a spring-controlled rock-shaft g', supported on the upper ends of the hangers E D. The-lower end of lever g depends beside wheel W and has an upstanding finger g2, which is adapted to be contacted by a pin f, projecting Afrom the side of wheel W, and so adjusted that at the proper time inthe revolution of wheel W the leverg will be swung inward and through its connections operate blade p and sever an address from a slip of paper fed between the blades. As the wheel W continues to revolve pin f will disengage lever g, which should fly back to normal position and open the cutter-blade; but to make this action positive I use a double armed leverj,mounted on a spring-controlled rock-shaft journaled in a bracket attached to hanger E. The upper arm of said lever is bent under lever g, and its lower endl depends beside wheel IV, in position to be engaged and forced outward by pinfas the Wheel revolves, (after 'the pin has disengaged finger {12,} and the oscillating movement thus given lever j positively throws lever g back to its loriginal position. A spring may be connected to blades Pp. if desired, a's shown at p3 in Fig. 3,- to expedite the eperation thereof. A

F" designates a bar pivotally mounted on a shaft f between hangers C E and projecting forward toward rollers M N and having laterally-projecting arms F2 on Aits outer end, the extremities of which are bent forwardly at right angles and from which are'suspend'ed cross-levers F3 F3, pivoted to each other and on the arms F2 at the points of intersection. The lower ends of the opposite corresponding levers F3 are connected by parallel pinchbars F4, which together form a gripping device for catching a strip of paper. The inner end of bar F is provided with an adjustable weight f 2 to counterbalance the gripping-levers. A friction spring or rod f2 is attached tothe bar 'B and depends beside and bears against bar Ff, as shown in Fig. 2,` so as to prevent' casual vibration of the lat, ter. The upper ends of levers F3 are connected by pivoted toggles F5, which are in turn pivoted to the extremities of arms Z, projecting laterally from tlie forward end of a bar Z2, fulcrurned on a shaft e', attached to the hangers C E above shaft f', and when bar Z2 is oscillated the gripping-levers are raised and closed and then lowered and opened.

The end of the shaft of wheel WV projects through hanger E, and on it isliiXed a crank G, to which is connected the lowervend of a vertically-reciprocating rod g4, to the upper end of which is connected a plate g5, through which passes a guide-wire g4, attached to the frame, as indicated in Fig. l, to direct the vertical movements of the rod. The rod g4 passes loosely through a slot Z7 in the rear end of bar Z2, and springs G3 G4 are placed on the rod above and below and bear against the end lof the bar Z2, so that the latter is oscillated by the reciprocationsof the rod g. The springs may be regulated and adjusted by suitable nuts or collars on rod g4, as indicated.

g7 designates a stop-plate attached to the IOO bar B and depending above the inner end of the bar Z2 in position to lim-it the movement thereof in one direction, and g2 is a stop-rod depending through the bar B and having its lower end curved beneath the inner end lof the bar Z2, so as to limit the downward movement thereof,'t.his rod being adjustable by a thumb-nut, as shown, or in other suitable manner. The resistance -caused by the friction of rod f2 against the bar F is lsuflicient to prevent movement of bar F by the connections between the same and bar Z2, formed by the gripping devices, until bar Z2 has first opened the grippers in ascending or closed the grippers in descending, so that if a strip of papenbe led downward between the grippers it will be intermittently fed down by the grippers a certain amount for each reciprocation of bar-Z2, which is once for each revoluf tion of the wheel W, and the amount of movement of bar Z2 and consequent length of strip fed by the grippers to the cutters is regulated by the stops g7 and g2, which arrest the movement of the bar Z2, but not of rod g4, as the springs G3 G4 will yield and permit the necessary play of the rod g4 and rotation of wheel W.

O designates a roller or spool on which the IIO printed strips are wound and from which they are fed tothe grippers. This spool is mounted `in bracket-arms O on the frame, and below the spool is a trough O2, mounted in the brackets attached to the frame above the gripping devices, and in the trough is j ournaled a gumming-roller-O3, and O4 is an apron or shieldplate partly overlying the rollers, and between which and the roller the printed strip is led from the spool in its passage to the grippers, and a suitable adhesive or dampening liquid in the trough is supplied by the rollerl O3 to the plain unprinted surface of the strip as it passes, thereby either providing the strip with an adhesive substance or dampening such a substance previously'applied to the strip.

H2 designates a omide rack or frame composed of front and rear parallel strips h united at top and bottom by suitable crosspieces h2. The frame H2 is suspended on vbracket-arms H4, attached to the frame or trough and in such position as to receive the strip as it passes from the roller and direct it to the gripping devices. To the lower ends of the front strips h are connected hinged pieces h3, which pass loosely through openings in the front pinch-bar, and similar pieces may be attached to the rear pieces h and play through openings in the rear pinch-bar, if desired, so as to guide the strip but yet not interfere with the opening and closing of the pinch-bars.

The operation may be briefly described 'as' follows: A suitably-printed address-strip is placed on spool O and threaded between the apron and gumming-roller and frame H2 until its extremityis just above the cutters Pp. Then roller I is suitablyT driven by machinepower applied to pulley Z, or by hand-power applied to a crank on the shaft x', as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the packages to be addressed are placed on belts 'l and S and carried forward successively between the belt-s T, S, and R to and between rollers I and rollers J .I and wheel W. As each package moves forward it strikes arm 104, releasing detent 202, and by frictioual contact revolving wheel W. The rod g4 is first depressed, causing bar Z2 to rise, and thereby opening and elevating the pinch-bars, andas the Wheel WV continues to revolve the barZ2 is depressed, which causes the pinch-bars to first grip the strip and pull it downward just sufficient to pass one address between the open knifeblades P p. Then as the package is passing from between the roller I and the wheel W and just as its edge has passed beneath the cutters pin f engages finger g2 andthrough rod h operates the blade p, severing the ad- Y dress from the strip and lea-ving its mucilaged scribed. The detent 102 engages and locks wheel XV after the passage of each package Y thereunder until it is released by another incoming package. Because of the springmountings of the various rollers packages of different thicknesses can be run through the machine and addressed, substantially as described, in succession without previous mani pulation orad just ment of parts. If desired, several or all of the rollers might be driven positively by suitable means instead of depending so much upon frictional contact from the single roller I. v

W'hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an addressing-machine, the combination of a wheel adapted to be rotated by the passage of the packages thereunder, cutting mechanism for severing an address'from a printed strip, rvand mechanism for feeding a predetermined length of said 'strip between the cutters while the lattex1 are opened, both the cutters and feed mechanisms being operated from said wheel during one rotation thereof, substantially as described.

2. In an addressing-machine, the combination of a wheel adapted to be rotated by the passage of the packages thereunder, a cutting mechanism for severing an address from a printed strip, and mechanism for feeding a predetermined length of said strip between the cutters while the latter are opened, both the cutters and feed mechanism being operated from said. wheel during one rotation, thereof, wit-h the devices for muclaging the blank side of the said strip previous to severing the addresses therefrom, all substantially as described. I

3. In an addressing-machine, the combination of a wheel adapted to be rotated once during the passage ot' each package through the machine and an automatic detent for controlling the rotations of said wheel, released `by each incoming package, with mechanism for severing an address from a printed strip and mechanism for feeding a predetermined length of said strip to the cutters, both the cutting and feeding mechanism being operated but once during the passage of e'ach package through the machine, substantially as described.

TOO

,4. The combination, in an addressing-machine, of a Wheel adapted to be rotated once during the passage of each package through the machine, a series of belts for `carrying the packages through the machine, a cutting mechanism adapted to sever an address from a printed strip, operated once during the rotation `of said wheel, a vibratory mechanism for feeding. a predetermined length -of said strip to the cutters', operated once during each revolution of the wheel, and rollers for uniting the severed address `to the package, all substantially as described. e

5. The combination, in an addressing-.machine, of a wheel adapted to be rotated once by frictional contact with and during the .pas-

sage of each package through themachine and a series of belts and rollers for carrying the packages beneath the same with a cutting mechanism adapted to sever an address from a printed strip and a vibratory mechanism for feeding a predetermined length of said strip to the cutters, both mechanisms being controlled by and operated once for each revolution of the wheel, devices for mucilaging the blank side of the strip previous to severingihereof, and rollers for attaching the severed address to the package, allsubstantially as described.

6. The combination, in a mailing-machine, of a cutter with movable blade, a bar connecting said blade with a spring-lever, a frictionwheel carryinga lateral pin adapted to enl gage said lever and propel said blade to the cutting-point, and a spring adapted to return said blade to its initial posit-ion, substantially as described.

7. The combination, in a mailing-machine, of a cutter with movable blade, a bar connecting said blade with a spring-lever, and a friction-wheel with a lateral pin upon said wheel,

adapted to engage said lever and propel said' knife to the cutting-point and also to engage a .double lever adapted to return said lever and knife each to its initial position, lsubstantially as described.

8. The combination, in a mailing-machine, of a cutter having a fixed and movable blade, a spring-lever, a bar connecting said movable blade to said lever, a double lever, and mechanism for operating said lever and propelling said movable blade to the cutting-point and subsequently engaging said double lever and thereby returning said oscillating lever to its initial position, substantially as described.

9. In a mailing-machine, the combination of carrier-belts borne upon transverse rollers, friction-rollers intervening between said transverse rollers and adapted to propel said belts, a friction-wheel adapted to the lower friction-roller, a depression on the periphery of said Wheel sufficient when confronting said lower friction-roller, the machine being empty, to permit said roller to revolve without rotating said wheel, and a combined detent and arm adapted to unlock said wheel and permit it to revolve as the mail-matter passes through the machine and subsequently to lock said wheel at each revolution when itreturns to its initial position, substantially as described.

10. The combination, in a mailing-machine, of carrier-belts borne upon transverse rollers and passing between intervening upper and lower friction-rollers adapted to propel said belts, a feed-roller belted to the upper friction-rollers and adapted to turn upon said carrier-belts and draw the mail-matter into the machine, and two receiving-rollers adapted to receive and draw the mail-matter between them as it passes through the machine, substantially as described.

ll. In a mailing-machine, the combination of carriers-belts borne upon transverse rollers and propelled by intervening friction-rollers, a feed-roller on one side of said friction-rollers and belted to the upper friction-'rollers and adapted to turn upon said carrier-belts and draw the mail-matter into the machine, and a plurality of guide-arms extending in the direction of said carrier-belts and adapted to guide the mail-matter to the cutter and to and between the receiving-rollers, substantially as described.

12. The combination, in a mailing machine, of carrier-belts borne upon transverse rollers, and intervening friction-rollers for propelling said belts, a feed-roller superimposed upon said belts and adapted to draw the mail-matter into the machine, a plurality of guidearms projecting in the direction .of .the carrier-belts and adapted to guide the mail-matter through the machine, and receiving-rollers placed together and turned by an intervening belt and adapted to receive and unite the addresses to the mail-matter passing .through the machine, substantiallyas described.

13. The combination, in a mailing machine, of two independent friction-rollers and a triction-wheel, each actuated, respectively, by a friction-roller, a crank on the shaft of said wheel, a reciprocating bar bearing springs and operated by said crank, a rocking lever carrying lateral arms, grippers attached by toggle-joints to said arms,`a supporting-levell havingv lateral arms pivoted to ,the sides of said grippers, and a resistance-bar engaging said supporting-lever, said grippers actuated by said rocking lever, toggle-joints, supporting-lever, and resistance-bar, substantial] y as described.

14:. In combination with the friction-wheel bearing a pin and havingv a flattened Vor depressed peripheral portion, a friction-roller for rotating said wheel, a detent adapted to `arrest the rotation of said wheel, having an arm projecting below the line of contact between said wheel and friction-roller, an oscillating lever, a double lever, a xed and a movable cutting-blade, and a bar connecting said movable blade to said oscillating lever, said pin being adapted to engage said arm and propel said movable blade to the cutting-point and to subsequently engage said double lever and thereby return said oscillating lever and movable blade to their initial positions, substantially as described.

15. Ina mailing-machine, cross-leverscombined to form grippers, fulcrumed to a supporting-lever and attached to a rocking lever by toggle-joints for opening and closing the grippers, and a resistance-bar for .retarding the motion of said supporting-lever until the grippers are opened or closed by the oscillations of said rocking lever, substantially as described.'

'16. The combination of two levers for operating a pair of grippers and a pair of crosslevers combined to form said grippers and f ulcrumed to one of said levers and suspended IOO by toggle-joints from the otherlever, said fulcrum-lever having contact With a resistancebar for retarding its motion until the other lever sufficiently actuates said toggle-joints to open or close the grippers, substantially as described.

17. The combination of a friction-wheel, a crank on the shaft of said Wheel, and a rock- A ing lever for raising and lowering a pair of grippers, combined With intervening mechanism, substan tially as described, for oscillating said lever, substantially as set forth, and for the purposes specied.

1S. The combination of a pair of cross-levers combined to form grippers suspended by toggle-joints to a rocking lever and fulcrumed to a supporting-lever, said supporting-lever having contact with yielding devices adapted to retard the movementJ of said grippers in their start from or toward their initial position, said levers arranged to support and open or close said grippers, substantially as described.

19. The combination of two independent friction-rollers and a friction-wheel, each actuated, respectively',by a friction-roller, a crank on the shaft of said wheel for actuating a reciprocating bar, a rocking lever having one end loosely engaging said bar, return-springs placed loosely on said bar between nuts traveling on a screw-thread on said bar, the ends of said springs abutting at opposite sides of the end of said rocking lever and adapted to engage said end, and a pair of grippers actuated by said rocking lever, substantially as described.

20. The combination, in a mailing-machine, of the spool, the paste-trough, the cylinder therein, the feeding devices and cutters below said trough, and the intermediate guiderack suspended above the feeding devices, so as to receive the strip as it passes over the cylinder and direct it to the feeding and cutting devices, substantially as described.

2l. In a mailing-machine, the combination of the paste-trough and fixed guide, a cylinder adapted to revolvein said trough, aguiderack, and vibratory grippers, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

22. The combination,in a mailing-machine, of a spool for carrying a mail-list, a cylinder turning in a paste-trough, an apron for bringing said mail-list in contact with the paste carried by said cylinder, a fixed guide-rack and cutter, and vertically-movable grippers for feeding. the mail-list through said guiderack and into said cutter,substantially as described.

23. The combination of a guide-rack, grippersfor feeding the .mail-list through said rack, a cutter to -receive and clip from the mail-list the addresses in succession as they are fed through said rack, au actuating friction-roller, a pair of vibratory levers..and

mechanism, substantially as described, for operating said grippers and cutter.

24.. The combination of a cutter, an actuating friction-roller, a pair of oscillating levers, and mechanism, substantiallyas described, for operating said cutter.

25. In a mailing-machine, the combination of the grippers, the oscillatingbars or levers for actuating said grippers, the friction-rod or resistance-bar, the friction-roller, and connections between the same and said levers for operating the latter, substantially as described.

26. The combination, in a mailing-machine, of the grippers having the parallel pinchbars and mechanism for opel'ating the same, and the guide-rack having depending hinged guide strips or pieces Which pass through openings in the pinch-bars, substantially as described.

WILLIAM H. SANDERS.

IVitnesses: i

JOSEPH XV. BRECKENRIDGE, J. C. OCHILTREE. 

